Recently the clock in the Duomo that chimes out over the city on the hour and every quarter hour has been running into problems. Age has been catching up with the mechanism. It is after all, over 60 years old and starting to show its age. If it was not for the constant resetting, adjusting and oiling by Popi – Giamperio Gonnella the sound of the bells would have stopped a long time ago. The clock was a gift to the city by Ferruccio Togneri in 1931 (his villa Buenos Aires stands just outside the city walls at Porte Macchiaia) and since then the mechanism was been working all hours keeping the Barghigiani informed of the time as it is linked the bells at the top of the Duomo, the chimes being heard clearly in all parts of the valley. Recently an eery silence fell on the city as the clock just stopped dead in its tracks and ticked no more.

[Click here for slideshow]

Luckily for the Barghigiani, the bell ringers of Barga stepped in and this afternoon replaced the broken and missing pieces and the happily the chimes are once more ringing out over Barga Vecchia.

Click on the link below to listen to Giamperio Gonnella talking (in Italiano) about just who worked on the repairs

barga_duomo_clock_repairs_4june2009